I see the point of comparing the similarities here in terms of the facial expressions. Both take the moment seriously. The guard is grim, but I see Mao as being determined. Some may see grimness and determination as similar, but I see the grimly sour scowl of this guard as a warning, while Mao's determined image was originally meant to impress the masses with his ability to lead. Today, his portrait has become as much a historical artifact as it is a propagandistic image.
This image was dramatically cropped to emphasize the relationship between the guard and Mao. What I really worked on in the processing was to allow the viewer to see the expression on the guard's face. He so echos the grim expression on Mao's face.
The guard and the Chairman -- a favorite pairing. Your Mao is huge, your guard grimly subordinate. I chose to make my own guard large and Mao small when I shot this pair of subjects on my first visit to Beijing in 2004.
http://www.pbase.com/image/31310839 We tell different stories by switching subject and context.
